Life As We Know It
by Death-by-KYAA
Summary: Ed and Alex go on a mission to East City to hunt down a mass murderer, but what they find instead is an Ishbalan girl with a mysterious past. Lives can change in a heartbeat, and you never know what will happen next.  Slightly AU - EdxOC, RoyxOC
1. A Trip to Eastern City

Hi there everyone! My name is Chikara, and I co-write fanfics here with my friend Hikari! This is our first fanfic, so no flaming! I wrote this chapter, and Hikari will write the next one. We'll switch off like that throughout the whole thing. Enjoy! :)

**Disclaimer:** We own nothing of Fullmetal Alchemist. Only the OCs are ours!

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><p><strong>No POV<strong>

Alex, Edward and Alphonse exited the train station in East City. After what Colonel Mustang told them both Alex and Ed were eager to hit something...or someone.

_I can`t believe brother paired me up with this midget._ Alex thought angrily while Ed was thinking-

_Damn that colonel. I can`t believe I have to do this._

"So...um...what was the mission again?"Al asked just wishing they`d get along.

"The mission is to catch a mass murderer here." Alex said while going through the file that the colonel gave them.

"Anything else you can tell us?" Al asked.

"..."

"HEY!" Ed shouted at her.

"You`re gonna have to let me lead this mission apparently..."Alex said after a couple of minutes.

"What the hell makes you think I`m gonna let you do that?"Ed shouted angrily.

"...Because this guy used to be in the military...and he fought in the Ishbal Rebellion..."

"That`s still no good! I`ve been in the military longer that you have!"

"...My brother is the hero of the Ishbal Rebellion and I actually used to live here in East City." Alex explained angrily. By the look on Ed's face...he was beaten.

'HA! Take that Fullmetal!' Alex thought happily smirking. They started walking down the street where some Military police were supposed to meet them and fill them in on the situation.

"So this guy was in the military?"Al asked.

"Yep. Probably another state alchemist gone mad."Alex replied.

"So how do you plan on capturing him?" Ed asked her. He probably knew she didn`t have a plan.

_Damn him! He`s making me think of a strategy! I always use instincts on my missions_! Alex thought angrily. Seeing the angry expression on her face Ed knew he had won this time.

"Well since you don`t seem to know...I guess I`ll lead this." Ed said smirking.

"No, no, I know what to do just let me think!" Alex spat at him.

_Okay so there`s a mass murderer running around East City and we have to stop him without getting killed our- wait..._ Alex thought. When she finally pieced everything together she started smiling like the colonel does.

_That`s so creepy. She almost looks like him..._ both Ed and Al thought at the same time.

"Doesn`t say we can`t kill him." She finally said.

"But...killing and capturing aren`t the same thing." Al explained.

"Yea but, it doesn`t say the guy has to be alive." Alex replied.

"What? Let me see that." Ed made a reach for the folder but Alex quickly put it back in her bag before he could get close to it.

"Not so fast Fullmetal. My brother wants me to be the only one who gets ahold of it so...BYE!" Alex said then quickly sprinted down the street to where the Military Officer stood a few feet down the street.

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><p><strong>Alex POV<strong>

I quickly sped down the street leaving a pair of very confused Elrics behind.

"I`m sorry Ma`m but this area is for authorized military personel only." The officer explained to me. Geez, I hate it when they don`t recognize me. So I had to dig in my pocket for my watch that was attached to my belt.

"I`m a state alchemist sent here from central command." By this time Fullmetal and Al had caught up to me. "These two are my partners. We were sent here by Colonel Mustang's orders."

"Oh yes follow me." The officer led us down the alley toward two bodies."Civilians found the bodies this morning." The sight was horrible. Even with the tarps over them I could tell that the bodies were bloody.

"Whoever did this is a sick, sadistic person." I said. Even the walls had blood on them as well.

"You said it." For once Fullmetal agreed with me.

"There is another person working on the case, but she hasn`t been seen around Eastern command lately. But that`s not surprising." Said the officer. "She would often be discriminated against when she was there."

"Why`s that?"Al asked.

"Well she`s part Ishbalan... and she`s not afraid of showing it either."

"Hmmm...maybe we should track down this Ishbalan girl first." I suggested.

"Why should we?" Fullmetal asked.

"Because Fullmetal, if we find this girl she may be able to help us."

"She`s right brother. If she`s been gone that might mean that she`s been investigating this whole time." Al explained. By this time we were walking out of the alleyway.

Fullmetal started grumbling about me being right. I love it when I win.

"That settles it then. First we track down that girl then we catch that killer." I said while smiling at them. Al smiled back and Fullmetal looked like he had a small blush on his face.

"Yea, yea...whatever." He said while looking away.

"Okay then, we should start at Eastern Command. Let`s just hope it won`t take long to find her."

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><p>YAY! The first chapter is done! Who is this Ishbalan girl? Find out in the next chapter!<p>

Remember to Review our stories so that we can make them better! Thanks for reading! Bye!


	2. A Girl in the Military

Life As We Know It - Chapter 2: "A Girl In the Military"

Hey everyone! Hikari here! Just thought I'd drop by with the next chapter of this fic! (^_^) I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter by Chikara, and came back for a taste of _my _writing! Well, here it is! Have fun!

***DISCLAIMER*** Only the OC is mine. I own nothing of Fullmetal Alchemist. If I did, there would be a whole lot more Roy! 3

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><p><strong>Rhea's POV<strong>

I pulled my military jacket tighter around me as I stormed down the cobblestone steps of Eastern Command.

_Not allowed? 'Unqualified'?_ Some people really piss me off. I was working on a high-profile case here, and I wasn't permitted access to military documents that might convict this killer? Whose side is the military on?

_They send me out to this god-forsaken city with all of it's crime, put me in charge of investigation of a series of murders, then deny me any assistance! (or a decent train ride for that matter) _Slipping on my sunglasses, the world around me assumed an orange glow. I was beginning to think that the whole reason I was sent so far from Central was the colour of my eyes.

_The man they let into the building before me was a civilian! Honestly, I don't know where the military drafts their security from. _I stopped in the central square of the city. A bench backed up to a fountain of three children at play. I sat on the hard metal of the bench and grimaced (anything was better than those damn seats on the train). The fountain spat beautiful crystalline streams of water up from it's base, showering the statues' faces with sparkles as drops of water caught the light of the sun. It was a delicate scene. I frowned and removed my sunglasses to get a better look.

The children appeared about ten or eleven... The age of the victim taken by this murderer I was investigating. The child killed was Ishbalan, just as the other victims had been. I squinted as I peered up into the eyes of the concrete child. Had these sentinels seen the killer as he ran through the streets at night, plotting his next kill a couple of blocks away? I stood, sighing. It was no matter anyways; if these youthful guards, frozen in their eternal joy had seen anything of merit to my case, I would never know_. _

_Listen to me! I'm practically interrogating a rock! I need some rest._ Again I covered my red eyes of an Ishbalan with the shade of the sunglasses, and walked away from the stone children.

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><p>I came to a fruit stall and sneered at the prices.<p>

_The military doesn't pay me enough for this..._ I continued to walk, my stomach protesting at my deserting the food. Approaching the clock in the town square, I noted the time and then turned around and went back to the fruit stall.

"Excuse me, sir. But do you have the time?" The vendor started at my sudden appearance, then turned his back to me in order to get a better view of the square's clock.

"Well, it's 'bout half-past three, I'd reckon. But if ye ask me, I think that darned ol' clock runs about ten minutes late. My wife always scolds me 'bout how I'm late t' git home, but I check that clock everyday, and I'm never late by it's time!"

Good, I had the man talking. He babbled on about something else about the clock as I nonchalantly set my right hand over a pile of apples.

"Well, I suppose it's time for me to get back to work!" I said, putting on my best 'I really do enjoy our conversations' face, then waved with my left as I moved quickly away and around the corner, apple in hand. I bit into the apple; it was the juiciest fruit I had ever eaten. I felt guilty about stealing from the old man, but on second thought, how many times had I stolen much more than a fruit in order to get by?

_I'm glad those days are gone, but not much has changed, considering the prejudice following the war._ I was torn back as memories of the war rushed back to me. Screaming. Fire. Chaos. Blood. And pain. So much pain.. Tears began to blur my vision as I remembered my family. My mother and two brothers...

_No. Not now. Get your head together Rhea! They're gone, and that's that. Move on. _Then the thought of that man - the one who saved my life. He was an Amestrian soldier, and yet he had taken me to their doctors, made sure I was guarantied an education in Amestris. He gave me a new life.

_I never even knew his name... But his hair, dark as night, and his gloved hands pulling me out of the rubble that was once my family's home..._ I walked farther into the recessive corners of the alley, and sat in the dark. Six years have passed since the war, and I still get nightmares of the blood and screaming... When I was younger, I would be frightened during thunderstorms because they sounded like the bombs that plagued our country.

_During those nights, I would just imagine the strong gloved hands of that mysterious, kind soldier holding me away from the danger; telling me that everything was going to be fine._

After coming to live in Amestris, I took my education seriously, and learned as much as I could in only four years. I then joined the military in memory of that brave soldier. I smiled at the thought of my foolishness - I would never meet him again. It was a stupid thing to do, I suppose. Here I was, a girl with Ishbalan eyes, serving the military that once posed to eradicate my people. Military personnel thought very little of me, saying behind my back that I was a traitor to my country and my family. They will never see things my way...

In two years I had worked hard and climbed the ladder of the military to where I am now. And where has it gotten me? On a case to find someone who kills my people. I sighed, wiping my eyes beneath the sunglasses that hid my Ishbalan identity.

_They told me it was a dangerous mission for someone like me._ I thought they meant me as a child. They had meant me as an Ishbalan.

_And yet they sent me here anyways!_ _Why do I always rush into things without all the facts first?_ I finally stood, ready to get back on the case. I strode out of the alleyway and into the city, leaving the apple long forgotten.

_I'm going to be the best goddamned detective this military has ever seen!_ I marched up the stairs of the building to Eastern Command. My mind was set.

_Time to catch myself a killer._

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><p>Thank you so much for reading our story! Please remember to write a Review! No flaming though!<p>

Come back for the next chapter. which will be written by Chikara!

This is Hikari, signing off! (^_^)~3


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